Automobile lock and signal.



Patented Miu: 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. J. VOLZ.

LOCK ,wn SIGNAL.

. /HSHALL AUI'OMOBH APPLICA'HON FILED 35mg. 19:7.

J. E. MARSHALL L 1. L. VOLZ.

AUToMoBlL LOCK AND SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29. 191?.

1 ,297,214. Patented Mur. 11, 1919,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l AGAN DOE v@WNBA om, ,E

ANW* f i UNITED STATES PATENT ormon.`

[LAMES E. MARSHALL ANI) THECDOR J. VOLZ, OF OANEY, KANSAS.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK AND SIGNAL.

Specification o1' Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

To all I11i/'1,0m 'it may concern Be it known that` we, Janus lil. lllinsnALL and Tnnonon J. Vorm, citizens ot' the United States, residing,r at Caney, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improven'ients in Automobile Locks and Signals, ot which the following is aspeciiication.

This invention reiates to signal and locking mechanisms for motor vehicles.

The invention proposes the use of an adjustable plate bearing the owners name, normally exposed to View and covering an immovable plate bearing4 uhe words Owner out or some similar expression; also means for lockingl said adj nstablc plate and through the medium of which the plate may be adjusted; also, the utilization of the ad'diustable plate to torni part of a circuit breakingv element under the control ot a suitable lock mechanism, so that when said element assumes a position to break the ignition circuit, the adjustable or name plate is also moved to a position to uncover the immovable plate to expose to view the indicia thereon, and thereby indicate that the owner ot' the machine is absent theretrom.

In carrying out the invention vie further make use oiAl an electric bulb :tor illuminating the iim'nova-ble plate at night time, the l db being` connected in circuit 'with a switch, ot which the circuit breakiiig element forms a part, the latter beingl disposed to make contact with the stationary part oi the switch when the said element assumes a. ix'iositien to break thc ignition circuit, thus lightine' the bulb through the instrumentality of lwhich the plate bearing the words Gu/ner out or some other similar expression is illuminatcd.

. Other objects of importance will appear as the nature ot vthe invention is better understood from the following;` detail description taken in connection witaA the accompanying drawings, the invention residing;` in the construction, combination and arr:V ment otl parts as claimed.

ln the drawings forming part of this specification like numerals et reference indicate similar parts in the Several views and wherem- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a motor vehicle showing,` the invention associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic view or' the invention showing the normal position of parts.

Fig. 4f is a similar view showing the position ot) parts when the ignition circuit is broken. i

Fig'. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and show` ing,Y the plate 10 by dotted lilies in the low cred position.

Referring to the drawines in detail and particularly to Figs. 3 and l, 10 indicates a plate bear-img` the -name of the owner of the motor vehicle, with which the invention is used. The plate l0 forms a part of a combined circuit breaking` and making element, which in addition to the plate 10 includes an arm 11 pivoted at a suitable point in its length as at The tree extremity otthe arm 11 carries a. contact 13 which is adapted to be moved with the arm toward and away from a fixed contact 1l, coperatingy with the latter to make and break the ignition system ot the motor vehicle, the 'wire 15 leading to the starting and ignition switch ot' the machine, while the wire 41G leads lo the storage battery. The combined circuit making` and ln'eaking element no1'- niaily rests in the position illustrated in itin'. il with the intact 12S engaging the-contact 1st, in which position ot parts the machine may be maniuulatcd or run. Any suitable lock mechanism may be employed tor maintainineY tln` combined circuit makinjli and breaking` element in this position, use howete 'being made oit a key actuated lock imlicated at 17. ll'owever when it is desired to prevent theft et the car during the owners absence therefrom the lock is actuated to release the combined \circuit making' and breaking" clement to permit the latter to assume thel position illustrated by full lines in Fig'. fr, and by dotted lines in 53 wherein the contacts 13 and laref spectivcly are separated and the ignition circuit broken, which obviously prohibitsV use oi' the car.

A plate 18 ot a size and configuration contermine' to the plate 10 is also embodied in the invention, and bears the words Owner ont or some other similar expression, to indicate the absence of the owner from the machine. It might here be stated that the device forming the subject matter of the invention may be installed between the metal panel and the inside lining of the car, preferably in the space between the doors on a touring car, or in any other conspicuous place which would attract attention. As 1s shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 the metal paneling or body of the car is provided with an elongated slot 19 which is covered yby a piece of glass, mica or sorne other transparent niaterialv as shown. The plate 18 is also arranged in the space between the metal paneling and the inside lining` of the car, immediately at the rear of the slot 19, while interposed between the latter and the plate 18 is the plate 10. r1`he plate 18 is also constructed from glass or some other suitable transparent material. The lock 17 is also arranged in the space between the paneling and the lining of the car. As hereinabove stated the plate 18 is immovable, and when the combined circuit making and breaking element is in its normal posit-ion such as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the plate 10 thereof concealing the plate 18 from view, being disposed immediately in advance of the latter. However when the said element is released and moved to a position to break the ignition circuit, the plate 10 assumes the position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 4, and dotted lines in Fig. 5, at which time the plate 18 is exposed to view through the slot 19.

As mentioned above, the plate 18 is constructed from some suitable transparent material, and in order to render the same quite noticeable at night time, the plate 18 is illuminated through the instrumentality of an electric bulb 20. The bulb is connected in circuit with a. stationary switch element 21 the latter in turn being connected by a wire to the wire 16 which leads to the storage battery. Fixed upon the tree extremity of the arm 11 is a Contact 23 forming a component part of the switchl with which the electric bulb is connected in circuit. The disposition of parts is such that when the combined circuit making and breaking element assumes the position shown in Fig. 4, breaking the ignition circuit, the

ycontact is brought into engagement with the switch element 21 closing the circuit to the bulb 20 for the purpose of illuminating the plate 18. The invention is not only elicient for the purpose intended, but it is simple in construction and can be installed upon any make of car.

lt is desired to have it understood that what has been herein shown and described is merely illustrative of oni and the preferred embodiment of the invention to which we do not limit ourselves, and that such changes may be resorted to when de sired as fall within .the scope ot what is claimed.

That is claimed is 1. A combinedsignal and Circuit breaker for automobiles having a slot in the body thereof, a pivoted element disposed in the space between the inet-al paneling"and lining of the car, a signal registering with said slot and indica-tive otI the owner`s absence from the car, key actuated mea-ns for locking said element normally in a position to complete the circuit, and to conceal the signal from View, said element gravitating to a position to break said circuit and expose the signal, and said element being returned to active position through the instrumentality of the key.

2. A combined signal and circuit breaker for automobiles having a .slot in the body thereof, an element pivoted upon the inside of the metallic pancling and included in the ignition circuit, a signal disposed in registration with said slot for indicating the owners absence from the car, means for locking saidelement in a position to coinplete the circuit and to conceal the signal from view, said element gravitating when released to aposition out of reach, to expose said signal, a lamp circuit, and said ele ment completing the latter mentioned circuit when in its ignition circuit breaking position to illuminate said signal.

3. An outer wall of the vehicle body having adisplay opening', a plate arranged in spaced relation back of said wall and in registration with said opening and bearing thc words Owner out or a word or device of analogous import, a swinging plate movable back of said wall and to and from a position in iront of the plate, said plate gravitating when released to a position out of reach to expose said signal, a lock mounted in the .wall and connected to the swinging plate and through which the plate is swung to position to hide the first named plateor signal, electric means for illuminating the iirst named plate, and means operated by gravitation of the swinging plate for putting said illuminating means into operation and displaying the first named plate.

In ,testimonyv whereof we aiiix our signatures.

JAMES E. MARSHALL. THEODOR J. VOLZ. 

